Ferret Cage

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Ferret cage?

Another ferret question- sorries!

I have been reading up endlessly on ferrets and will probably be buying one very soon. I have read website after website, and checked out (or bought) a couple of books, but one thing that I keep getting different answers for is ferret cages. I will only be having one ferret (at least for now), and need to know everything that has to do with ferret cages.

Size, bedding, litter box, water bottle; what kind of cage is the best, how many ramps? Does anyone have a specific cage they would reccomend? Pictures of ferret cages already made up would be great!

Don’t get me wrong, I know the basics and would probably be just fine with what I know, but extra help doesn’t hurt.

Another side note is that I won’t need to keep my ferret in his or her cage for very long, somebody is always home (I usually always am) and will be able to keep an eye on it.

Also- how many litter pans should I buy for out of the cage, and what litter is best?

Ive had experience with a few different cages but the best cage by FAR is the ferret nation cage. It has 2 full levels allowing for more play room and 2 smaller levels so total it is 4 levels tall. It’s made of powder coated steel and has 4 full size doors to make cleaning incredibly easy. If you get a cage that is difficult to clean you’ll be miserable. Anything besides a “ferret” cage means that it was not designed for ferrets. Like a rabbit hutch. Rabbit hutches arent even advised for rabbits unless they are only being kept for food. The biggest concern with cages like that are that they have mesh bottoms which cause sores and blisters on the feet and they are WAY too small. Ferrets need as much room as possible to jump around and play. But you can also get one that is half the size and as long as it has tone of out of cage play time, the smaller cage wouldnt hurt.
http://www.midnightmadness.org/sarah/ferrets/122406/DSC04444.JPG
http://www.midnightmadness.org/sarah/ferrets/122406/DSC04445.JPG
http://www.ferret.com/prod_images/p48644P.jpg

Ramps arent all that important as long as you have plenty of levels and lots of hammocks and playthings for the ferret. This makes the cage more homey and also safer. If the ferret fell it needs something to break its fall so many hammocks are ideal.

As far as litter boxes go, I would stay away from the corner boxes. They’re neat but not all ferrets like to use them. Most commonly, the ferret will want to get its whole body into the box and then go. This isnt possible with a corner box. So the next best thing is a good sized kitty litter box and then cut a doorway into it about 6-7 inches across and allow about 1 1/2 – 2 inches from the bottom to keep the litter in. Ferrets would rather poo next to the box than climb over the wall to get in. Making the hole will solve a lot of headaches.

NEVER use clay or clumping litter. This stuff has a ton of dust and because ferrets are so low to the ground they inhale the dust and it gets lodged into their lungs causing severe upper respiratory infection. So be sure to use an all natural non clumping/clay litter. I use feline pine. Another good one is yesterday’s news. There are many out there but I personally prefer the pine because it’s great at absorbing the odor.

Speaking of odor, I know there is another answer on here of someone commenting on the smell. Many people dont realize that ferrets, if they are fixed and descented, are NOT supposed to smell. They have an odor as any other animal does but it is not noticeable unless you stick your nose in their fur and even then, I find this smell pleasant, like a sweet musk. The most common cause of ferrets stinking is a poor diet. Many ferret foods contain fish which is to them like garlic is to us. It just comes out in their oil glands.
Here is a great chart on ferret foods: http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html
If you feed a good food, keep the ears clean (dirty ears smell like burnt coffee to me), and keep the cage clean, you wont have to worry about stink. Oh, and over bathing also causes the oil glands to go into overdrive to recoat the fur causing them to smell worse. Only shampoo them if they are dirty. I throw my guys in just the water just for fun sometimes.

Get the biggest water bottle you can find. Ferrets can drink a LOT! I have a “lixit” bottle that can be refilled from the top instead of screwing off the cap. At least once a week clean it really well to kill bacteria.

If you have any more questions, I strongly recommend http://community.livejournal.com/ferretattitude/
They are an invaluable resource!

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